Automatic circuit-closer for motor-vehicle starters.



.HENRY A. MENZEL, F SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA.

AUTOMATIC CIRCUIT-CLOSER FOR MOTOR-VEHICLE STARTERS.

.Specification of Letters vPatent.

Patented Feb. io, 1914.

Application filed November 5, 1913. Serial No. 783,325.

To all 'whom it may concern: y

Be it known that I, HENRY A. MENZEL,

acitizen of the United States, residing at it-is desirable that theengine in such vehi-v Santa Clara, in the county of Santa Clara and.St-atc of California, have invented new and useful Improvements inAutomatic Cin Vcuit-Closers for Motor-Vehicle Starters, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to an automatic circuit closer for motor vehiclestarters.`

In the use of motor vehicles, such as am-' bulances and apparatus of redepartments7 cles be started with the least possible delay when theiruse is required.

This invent-ion is particularly applicable to such motor-driven vehiclesas are pro vided Awith electric motor starters, and the object.- of thisinvention is tol provide means for automatically closing the startingmotor circuiton the vehicle when a fire alarm is received in thestation.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for automaticallyclosing the ignition circuit of the main engine when this is turned over'by the starter.

Further objects will hereinafter appear.

The invention consists of the parts and y ing drawings, in which--position, ignition circuit closing switch andthe means for automaticallyclosing same.

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic View showing the frame of the vehicle,internal combustion engine, electric starting motor with connectedbattery and the 'fire alarm circuit with connected mechanism for closingthe circuit through lthe starting motor. Fig 2 is a perspective.viewrshowing the latching mechanism employed for the purpose ofholding-the gear shifting pedal in depressed Fig. 3 is a side elevationof the Referrin'g'to Fig. 1 of the drawings, A

indicates thc frame of a motor vehicle, in

A 'this instance a 'motor-driven {ire-engine; B

Yso.

.fthe internal combustion driving engine of thetruclr;l 2 the fly-wheel;and 3 the electric startingr motor which is connected through a'.slidablc driving pinion 4 with thev gear 15 wheelfy l The main objectof' the invention is automatically and,instantaneouslystart the rwisesecuredto the tly.

3 when a 'fire alarm is received within the .tire station. This isaccomplished in the following manner: 6 and 7 indicate the wires of themain tire alarm circuit connected with a bell 8, connected-on saidcircuit, and operable in conjunction with same through wires G' and 7 isan electromagnet- 9 which becomes energized the moment the tire alarmcircuit is closed to operate the bell and other connected mechanism. atrip switch which is adapted to be released by a latch member 11 themoment the magnet 9 becomes energized. The armature operable inconnection with the magnet being secured to the inner end of the latch,as at 11, will thus cause the latch arm to rock and release the switch10 which immediately .drops and closes a circuit through wires 12 and13. One of saidiwires, as 12, connects with one of the terminals of thestarting motor, as at 14, while the other wire is connected, as at- 15,witli the starting battery on the truck. The other leg of the circuit isclosed by a wire 16 which connects with the opposite terminals ofthem-otor and batitery. The wires 12 and 13 are connected through plugs17 and 18 witht-hetruck and will thus permit the truck to pull away fromthe plug connections 17 and 18 when leaving the fire sta-tion. The localAcirc-uit ,through the starting motor is thus broken and any necessityof severing 'connections between the motor-vehicle and trip switch' isthus entirely eliminated.

From the above description itcan be seen 10 indicates that the moment afire alarm signal is re ceived in the station, magnet 9, which isconnected on said circuit, will instantly be comes necessary, whenreturningto the firev station,.to back thel Atruck into such a positionthat plugs 17 and 18 may be inserted into the sockets on the'vehicle forthe purose` of connecting the circuit. The trip switch 10 is then raisedinto the upper open position'where it remains until .actuated by the.ircalarm circuit.

APractically all vehicles equipped with an electric starting-motorare'providedjwith a is released.

sliding pinion similar to the one here indicated at Il. This slidingpinion is operated .throughs pedal`2() which is adapted to throw it intoand out of mesh with the gear 5 on the fly-wheel through a seriesofcra-nlis and levers generally indicated at 1P( The next operation,after the truck has been placed in position in the fire station andafter plugs 17 and 1 8 havebeen inserted to connect the startingcircuit, is to depress the pedal 20 so as to move the pinion Il intomesh with gear 5. It also becomes necessary to hold the pedal in thisdepressed posi tion as the pinion would otherwise move out vof mesh withthe gear the moment the pedal The means for retaining the -pedal in thedepressed position consists of a swinging latch 2l which is adapted tobe swung from the dotted line position indicated at 2l across the footlever 20 into enga-gement with a retaining latch 22. The foot lever isthus held in the depre =sed position and the pinion 4 prevented fromsliding out of mesh with gear 5. The pinion 4 is thus in position at alltimes to start the en gine B the. moment the locali battery cir-A cuit1J is c losed by the trip switchlO andv will thus cause theengme to bestarted when the re alarm circuit 1s closed.A For the purpose ofautomatically closing the ignition circuit through the spark plugs onthe engine B the moment the starting' motor starts to turn the engineover, an' automatic self-closing switch has been interposed on theignition circuit of the engine.` as indicated at This switch is hereshown as consisting 'of a standard form'. of knife switch 24 vwhich isnormally open when the engine is standing' still, being manually placedin this position. 25indicates a tube pivotally secured toA the knifeblade of the switch, as at 26, and 27 indicates a, rod slidable in thetube which ispivotally secured,

Qas at 28,'to oneof the valveoperatinglift 'J1-ods -29 of the engine.The -operation of this part of the mechanism will -be as follows:

vThe momentthe engine starts turning- 'bver through the medium of theelectric starting motor 3 it will only be a matter of about onerevolution before the cani rod 29. ivill engage with the end of the rodand operate this to lift the` connected inlet or exhaust valve whicheverthe case may be.- Either an upward or al downward movement ofthe rodwill thus be transmitted through the'pivoted rod 27 and vtube 26 toiorcetheknife blade ci the switch23 into closed position; the length ofthepivoted rod 27 -beingsuch as to engage with the bottom 'of the tube 25or a"stop secured therein the moment the rod 27 assumes a :horizontalposition with relation to the knife blade 24.? The ignition circuit-which A remainsnormally open through the medium of the switch 22 whenthe engine is at a standstill is thus automoves awayfrom saine. Both.the

. closed.

niatieally closed the moment the' engine starts turning over. From therevious deseription it' can thus be seen t at the engine'is firststarted turning over through the dropping of the trip switch 10which-closes the local circuit through the starting motor' 3, andsecondly, through the automatic elosing of the ignition circuit switch23, and is thus'running when the driver assumes his seat and throws inthe driving clutches in the usual manner. The latch v21, holding thelever 20 in the depressed position for the purpose of holding t-hestarting gears infin- Vtermeshed position, is then kicked out by the,

operator to permit the foot lever 20 4to return to normal position; thismovement being transmitted to disengage the pinion 4 from the gear 5.The local circuit estab lished through the starting motor is then brokenthe moment the vehicle leaves the station as the plug connections' 17and .18

are severed by the vehicle when the vehicle gnition rou h circuit of theengine and the circuit the starting motor arer provided with t e usualswitches, as indicated-at 30, for thepurpose of closing saidcircuitswhen start ing the engine outside/off the f ire station, these circuitsbeing wired in the usual manner.

It can thus be seen that the automatic ting circuits connected with thestarting nu and ignition system are only second'- ary circuits providedfor'the purposes specified. v l

The engine starting motor and connected nicchanismv are constructed inthe usual manner and require no special attachment outside of theauxiliary circuits, connections and switches described; .Theauxiliaryinechanism constructed and connected as here shown is simple,reliable and positive in action and may 'oe-attached to-any wellkno'wntype of motor 'driven Vehicleprol vided with an 'electric starter. i

wish it understood that various changes in form, proportions andminordetails of construction may be resorted to With relation to theautoma-tic self-closing switches here employed and that I do not wish,to. limit myself to the specific design, `construction and applicationas here shown.

Having thus' described my invention, what I claim and desire to securebyLetters Patent is Y f l. The combination' withv the electric ing motorwhen the realarm circuit is 2. The combination with the' Ielectricstarting motor on a motor vehicle 'and a ire alarm circuit, ofmeans for automatically x closing a circuit through the electricstartling motor when' the lire alarm circuit *12o starting motor on amotor vehicle and a. fire Y 1,ose,esz

4t. The combination with a tire alarm cirvm cuit and a vehicle having aninternal comi bustion driving engine and an electric start.- ing motorconnected therewith, of means on the fire alarm circuit forautomatically closing the electric starting motor circuit, means 'forautomatically breaking said circuit,` and means for automaticallyclosing the ignition circuit on the internal combustion engine.

The combination with a tire alarm circuit and a vehicle having aninternal com bastion driving engine and an electric starting motorconnected therewith, of a magnet connected with and actuated by the firealarm circuit, and a trip switch actuated by said magnet adapted toclose a local circuit through the electric starting motor to start theengine.

(l. The combination with a iire alarm circuit and a vehicle having aninternal combustion driving engine and an electric starting motor withconnected battery, of a magnet connected with and actuated by the tirealarm circuit, wires connect-ing the starting motor and battery withsocket members, plugs insertible in said socket members, wires extendingfrom said plugs, and a trip switch connected with said wires adapted toclose a circuit through the starting motor and battery actuated by themagnet on the fire alarm circuit.

7. The combination with a fire alarm cir- .uit and a vehicle having aninternal combustion driving engine and an electric startl l l l l l l ll l i i l l l l l gine, and means on the ing motor connected therewith,of means on the fire alarm circuit for automatically closing theelectric starting motor circuit, and means for breaking said circuitwhen the vehicle is moved.

8. The combination with a tire alarm ein @uit and a vehicle having aninternal com bustion driving engine and an electric starting motorconnected therewith, of means on the tire alarm circuit forautomatically clos ing the electric starting motor circuit,y a switch onthe ignition circuit of the engine, and means operated by t-he enginefor auto4 matically closing said switch when the en gine is turned overby the starting motor.

9. The combination with a lire alarm cli cuit and a vehicle having aninternal com the engine, a sliding gear on the clectrid holding theslidstarting motor, means for ing gear in mesh with the gear on the firealarm circuit tor automatically closing the electric starting motorcircuit.

10. The combination with a fire alarm cir cuit and a vehicle having aninternal com bustion driving engine and an electra` sia rt ing motorconnected therewith, of a i on the engine. a sliding gear on the elecric starting motor, means for holding the slid ing gear in mesh with thegear on the eirgine, means on the ire alarm circuit. lor automaticallyclosing the electric starting motor circuit to start the engine turning,and means operated by the engine for automatically closing the ignitioncircuit'.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

HENRY A. Mancia..

Witnesses E. At. STANLEY, A. J. CROWN.

